Allan Batchelder's Blog: Immortal Treachery, page 7
December 23, 2016
Book Four is HERE!
Just in time for the holidays, Book Four can now be found at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4GI6EN/...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4GI6EN/...
October 19, 2016
September 25, 2016
To Swear or Not to Swear
One of the complaints I read most often about Grimdark concerns the use or overuse of profanity. Tolkien’s characters never swear, after all. Why should Martin’s or Abercrombie’s (or mine)?
Well, for one thing, a world without profanity is the very definition of fantasy – and not the good kind, but the syrupy sweet, black-and-white kind. Grimdark posits a world or worlds in which our “heroes” are morally ambiguous. To the Grimdark reader, this feels more authentic and is more reflective of the world in which we live.
Go ahead, google “Percentage of people who use profanity.” You’ll see it’s well upwards of sixty percent and, in some estimations, even as high as seventy-five (for men). Transitioning from a world in which we hear a fair amount of profanity into a world or worlds in which it never occurs can be too much to ask. But what about unicorns, you say. There are unicorns in fantasy but not in the real world (spoiler alert), and yet we have no trouble accepting that. I would argue there has to be some realism in our fantasy, or it becomes unrelatable. Adjusting the language seems the obvious place to start. Also, the judicious use of profanity allows us to make the coarse characters coarser and the refined characters more refined. Also, profanity is natural.
While scholars argue about its exact age, textual evidence tells us that the “f-word” is hundreds of years old. Hundreds. We’ve been using it for so very long that it’s become a part of the fabric of who we are on some level. Trying to pretend it isn’t part of our language limits our language, makes us, ironically, less expressive than we are.
I used to dislike David Mamet’s earlier plays for their excessive use of swearing. As I got older, I came to see how swearing can define a character. Watch Glengarry Glen Ross and see how Al Pacino uses profanity to seduce, whereas for Ed Harris, it becomes the primal scream of someone who lacks the tools to say more. Profanity also offers a way for a rough man to fit in with other rough men. And there aren’t many successful fantasies in which the protagonists are fops.
In the end, the profanity in Grimdark simply offers us an additional choice. Like the myriad ways in which coffee can be enjoyed, you can now take your fantasy without or without profanity. How is this a bad thing?
Well, for one thing, a world without profanity is the very definition of fantasy – and not the good kind, but the syrupy sweet, black-and-white kind. Grimdark posits a world or worlds in which our “heroes” are morally ambiguous. To the Grimdark reader, this feels more authentic and is more reflective of the world in which we live.
Go ahead, google “Percentage of people who use profanity.” You’ll see it’s well upwards of sixty percent and, in some estimations, even as high as seventy-five (for men). Transitioning from a world in which we hear a fair amount of profanity into a world or worlds in which it never occurs can be too much to ask. But what about unicorns, you say. There are unicorns in fantasy but not in the real world (spoiler alert), and yet we have no trouble accepting that. I would argue there has to be some realism in our fantasy, or it becomes unrelatable. Adjusting the language seems the obvious place to start. Also, the judicious use of profanity allows us to make the coarse characters coarser and the refined characters more refined. Also, profanity is natural.
While scholars argue about its exact age, textual evidence tells us that the “f-word” is hundreds of years old. Hundreds. We’ve been using it for so very long that it’s become a part of the fabric of who we are on some level. Trying to pretend it isn’t part of our language limits our language, makes us, ironically, less expressive than we are.
I used to dislike David Mamet’s earlier plays for their excessive use of swearing. As I got older, I came to see how swearing can define a character. Watch Glengarry Glen Ross and see how Al Pacino uses profanity to seduce, whereas for Ed Harris, it becomes the primal scream of someone who lacks the tools to say more. Profanity also offers a way for a rough man to fit in with other rough men. And there aren’t many successful fantasies in which the protagonists are fops.
In the end, the profanity in Grimdark simply offers us an additional choice. Like the myriad ways in which coffee can be enjoyed, you can now take your fantasy without or without profanity. How is this a bad thing?
September 19, 2016
August 28, 2016
Progress Report for Book Four
Well, if it works for Joe Abercrombie, I might as well give it a whirl, too.
Here’s my progress report on Book Four, the penultimate book, of Immortal Treachery. I’ve just passed the hundred-thousand word mark, which means I’m on schedule for a Christmastime release (it should hit my beta readers by late October or early November). This book follows the Emperor Mendis Staurachia as he invades Vykers’ homeland from across the sea. His empire has endured for generations and possesses the largest, best-trained army the world has ever seen.
Meanwhile, we learn a great deal more about Vykers’ origins, Alheria’s schemes, and Long Pete’s role in all of this. Book Four introduces a few new characters, while a couple of overworked characters get a little vay-cay, as they say in Nespharia. Not to worry, though, everyone who matters is back for Book Five’s grand finale.
I should also mention that I’ve changed the title from The Ruined God to The Abject God, so as not to be confused with Kate Atkinson’s popular novel, A God in Ruins. You’ll never believe the title for Book Five!
Anyway, thank you for your patience and support. You are the best!
Here’s my progress report on Book Four, the penultimate book, of Immortal Treachery. I’ve just passed the hundred-thousand word mark, which means I’m on schedule for a Christmastime release (it should hit my beta readers by late October or early November). This book follows the Emperor Mendis Staurachia as he invades Vykers’ homeland from across the sea. His empire has endured for generations and possesses the largest, best-trained army the world has ever seen.
Meanwhile, we learn a great deal more about Vykers’ origins, Alheria’s schemes, and Long Pete’s role in all of this. Book Four introduces a few new characters, while a couple of overworked characters get a little vay-cay, as they say in Nespharia. Not to worry, though, everyone who matters is back for Book Five’s grand finale.
I should also mention that I’ve changed the title from The Ruined God to The Abject God, so as not to be confused with Kate Atkinson’s popular novel, A God in Ruins. You’ll never believe the title for Book Five!
Anyway, thank you for your patience and support. You are the best!
August 26, 2016
August 1, 2016
Big News!
Steel, Blood & Fire has been named a "Finalist" for Best Fantasy in the Independent Authors' Network Book-of-the-Year Awards! Cross your fingers and let's hope for a win!
July 6, 2016
How Does FREE Grab Ya?
Today (07/06) through Saturday (07/09), Steel, Blood & Fire is FREE for Kindle!
https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Blood-Fi...
https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Blood-Fi...
June 4, 2016
Muhammad Ali
I can’t add anything new to the story of Muhammed Ali, except to say that he’s been a lifelong hero of mine. I was a kid in the late sixties and early seventies – the prime of Ali’s career – and I followed his every move, his every word in every way I could. The same is true of Bruce Lee. Well, we lost Bruce far too soon (and his son, tragically), but we were blessed to have Ali for as long as we did.
Others will speak or write more eloquently about Ali’s impact on our world, his legacy. I can only say that I have always aspired to put him – Ali the warrior, anyway -- into my writing, in ways both subtle and obvious. There’s a great clip of him on YouTube, in a meaningless exhibition fight (and not in his best shape) dodging 21 punches in a row with ease. He had a gift for making his opponents swing where he wasn’t and for bringing his own punches from places they couldn’t predict. At his best, he was, as he famously suggested, invisible. He was not the hardest puncher in heavyweight history, but his combination of speed and tactical creativity along with the power he did possess was more than most fighters could handle.
When I reflect on him today, it occurs to me there’s the first of anything and everyone else is a follower – the first Disney, the first black President, the first international sports star and humanitarian. There’s no shame in being a follower; I’m a follower myself. But oh, how inspiring is the leader, that person without precedent or peer.
We lost one of those this week, and the world seems a little more ordinary for it.
Others will speak or write more eloquently about Ali’s impact on our world, his legacy. I can only say that I have always aspired to put him – Ali the warrior, anyway -- into my writing, in ways both subtle and obvious. There’s a great clip of him on YouTube, in a meaningless exhibition fight (and not in his best shape) dodging 21 punches in a row with ease. He had a gift for making his opponents swing where he wasn’t and for bringing his own punches from places they couldn’t predict. At his best, he was, as he famously suggested, invisible. He was not the hardest puncher in heavyweight history, but his combination of speed and tactical creativity along with the power he did possess was more than most fighters could handle.
When I reflect on him today, it occurs to me there’s the first of anything and everyone else is a follower – the first Disney, the first black President, the first international sports star and humanitarian. There’s no shame in being a follower; I’m a follower myself. But oh, how inspiring is the leader, that person without precedent or peer.
We lost one of those this week, and the world seems a little more ordinary for it.
May 30, 2016
99 cents
120 people have Steel, Blood & Fire on their to-read lists. It's only 99 cents, and if all those good folks bought (and read) the book, it would push Steel, Blood & Fire way, way, way up in the Amazon rankings!
Immortal Treachery
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www.immortaltreachery.com
Twitter: @TarmunVykers
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www.immortaltreachery.com
Twitter: @TarmunVykers
Or https://www.fa ...more
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